Henry Hunt and Liam Scott made half-centuries were part of a stop-start SA batting display
AAP01-Nov-2024Former Test paceman Peter Siddle has again proven age is no barrier as the 39-year-old ensured a weakened Victoria remains well placed after day one of their Sheffield Shield match against South Australia.Wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the second and third sessions as South Australia ended the day 286 for 9 after being given first use of the Adelaide Oval batting strip by visiting captain Will Sutherland.Related
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Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey was again among the runs while there were half centuries for Henry Hunt and Liam Scott but it was Siddle who made the day’s most decisive contribution.Siddle struck twice in an over to remove Daniel Drew and Jake Lehmann for a second duck in as many matches.The indefatigable Siddle returned late in the day to clean bowl Scott and send the home side’s last recognised batter on his way for 53, and ended the day with 3 for 44 from 18 overs.Siddle, player of the match with 5 for 49 against a strong New South Wales last weekend, returned to the Shield side among a host of absentees for Victoria.Bowlers Scott Boland, Todd Murphy and Fergus O’Neill, as well as opener Marcus Harris, all missed the third round match due to Australia A commitments.Siddle, a veteran of 67 Tests, complemented a young Victoria bowling line-up featuring the returning Cam McClure, Mitch Perry and spinner Doug Warren, who replaced Murphy.The day began in bizarre fashion with the fifth ball of the match eluding wicketkeeper Sam Harper and striking the fielding helmet for five penalty runs.Despite the early gift, South Australia were unable to score fluently and only reached a scoring rate of two runs an over in the final moments of the morning session to be 62 for 1 at lunch.Conor McInerney was the only batter to fall, off the bowling of Sutherland, before Siddle made his double breakthrough after the interval.Hunt made a typically watchful 62 only to edge Warren to first slip from the first ball of the left-arm spinner’s spell.Siddle was also in action in the field, catching the in-form Carey on the boundary off the bowling of Perry.Carey’s knock ended on 44 as a pull shot failed to clear the narrow Adelaide Oval boundary to leave the home side at a wobbly 159 for 5.Scott then played an important innings to revive South Australia, with assistance from Ben Manenti and debutant Henry Thornton.
With Bumrah’s appointment as vice-captain, it is likely he will step in to take temporary charge of the team
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2024Rohit Sharma’s participation in the early Tests in India’s tour of Australia is in doubt owing to personal reasons.Rohit might not play the first Test – in Perth, from November 22 – and though India played the recent Test series against Bangladesh at home without a designated vice-captain, the selectors were keen on appointing one not on a temporary basis, as has been the norm in the past, but as a long-term choice. They picked Jasprit Bumrah.Rohit has led India in 18 Tests so far, winning 12 of them. He was appointed to the role in February 2022, succeeding Virat Kohli. Although his influence on the limited-overs team is much more identifiable – with a T20 World Cup to show for it – one of Rohit’s biggest challenges came in red-ball cricket when he faced a hyper-aggressive England team at home in 2024 without several of his senior players. India overturned a 0-1 deficit after the first Test into a 4-1 victory with their next generation putting in crucial performances. Shubman Gill grew into his role as a No. 3 batter. Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel showcased their potential at the highest level and Yashasvi Jaiswal was a revelation.Much of Rohit’s success as a Test captain has been at home. In his tenure, India have only gone away twice – to South Africa, where they drew the series 1-1 and West Indies, where they won 1-0. There was the World Test Championship final at the Oval as well, which India lost to the same team that they will be facing in a month’s time. Australia also happens to be one of the places where Rohit has struggled as a Test batter. He averages 31.38 from 14 innings with a highest score of 63 not out.2:16
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With Bumrah’s appointment as India’s vice-captain for October’s three-Test series against New Zealand, it is highly likely that he will be in charge of the team in Perth. The fast bowler, who will turn 31 in December, has led India once, in the one-off Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after having tested positive for Covid-19. It was Bumrah’s first match as captain at any level of representative cricket, and he became the first fast bowler to lead India since Kapil Dev in 1987.Before leading India in the Edgbaston Test, Bumrah was the vice-captain in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Later, he served in the position in the two-Test tour of South Africa in 2023-24 and then in the five-Test series earlier this year against England. Bumrah also led India in the T20I series in Ireland in 2023 after returning from an injury layoff. However, Bumrah needs his workload managed, which could mean missing out on certain Tests.Gill, one India’s few all-format players alongside Bumrah, is being viewed as a long-term candidate for Test captaincy. He is said to have impressed the team management with his leadership qualities in the dressing room during India’s home series against England. Gill, 25, has never held any leadership role in Test cricket, but the selectors believe he has the potential to grow in the role.In July, Gill led India in the five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, which they won 4-1. Gill was then appointed vice-captain in the white-ball home series against Sri Lanka. Recently, Gill led India A in Duleep Trophy in a team that also had Rahul, who has also been India’s vice-captain. Gill also led Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024.
The Saudi Pro League has attracted some star players in recent years, none bigger than Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been with Al-Nassr since 2023.
Al Nassr'sCristianoRonaldo celebrate
The Portugal icon signed a new two-year Al-Nassr deal in 2025 which sees him earn a staggering £488,000-per-day in Saudi Arabia.
Per season
£178m
Per week
£3.42m
Per day
£488,000
Per hour
£20,357
Per minute
£339.28
Per second
£5.65
The finances on offer have seen plenty of world-class footballers swap Europe for Saudi Arabia. However, others have also said no to heading to the Middle East.
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ByRobbie Walls Jul 11, 2025 Players who have turned down Saudi Arabia moves 1 Lionel Messi
Back in 2023, Lionel Messi decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain and was wanted by Al-Hilal.
The Argentine, fresh off the back of a World Cup triumph in Qatar, was offered a three-year contract worth £1.3bn, where he would earn €500 million per season to make him the richest footballer in history.
However, Messi, considered the greatest of all time by many, snubbed the advances of the Saudi Pro League and instead made the move to the MLS with Inter Miami.
2 Bruno Fernandes
In 2025, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was also wanted by Al-Hilal, two years after they moved for Messi.
The attacking midfielder was offered £700,000-a-week plus bonuses, treble his Old Trafford wage, whereas the Red Devils were also in line to bring in £100m in a transfer fee.
However, Fernandes wanted to play at the ‘top level in Europe’, so snubbed the Saudi interest.
3 Romelu Lukaku
A running theme with Al-Hilal missing out on European targets saw Romelu Lukaku snub them ahead of the 2023/2024 campaign.
At the time, the Belgium striker was still under contract at Chelsea after a loan spell with Inter Milan and was the subject of a £50m per season proposal.
He turned the Saudi Pro League down, though, counting his career in Italy with AS Roma and Napoli.
4 Kylian Mbappe
In what would have been the most expensive signing in football history, Kylian Mbappe was the subject of interest from Al-Hilal in 2023, and they even reportedly agreed a €300m transfer fee with Paris Saint-Germain.
Per season
€700m
Per month
€58.33m
Per week
€13.3m
Per day
€1.9m
Per hour
€79,900
Per minute
€1,332
Per second
€22
Mbappe was even offered a one-year deal worth €700m where he could of then sealed his dream move to Real Madrid. The French superstar did get his move to the Bernabeu, however, he stayed in Paris instead of heading to the Saudi Pro League for 12 months.
5 Son Heung-Min
Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-Min has become a Spurs legend since moving to north London back in 2015, and he turned down the chance to join Al-Ittihad in 2023.
The South Korean said that ‘money doesn’t matter’ when linked with a move to Al-Ittihad, who were willing to pay Tottenham more than £50m at the time. In the end, they brought in former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema.
6 Ousmane Dembele
Ronaldo and Ousmane Dembele is a partnership that could have been for Al-Nassr, with the Saudi side targeting the France star when he was still on the books of Barcelona.
Al-Nassr were even willing to pay Dembele £35m per season for five years, however, he ended up turning them down to move to Paris Saint-Germain.
7 Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy has 13 hugely successful years at the King Power Stadium. The Foxes legend won the Premier League and FA Cup with Leicester, but back in 2023, turned down an approach from Al-Khaleej.
It is unknown just how much Al-Khaleej were willing to offer the striker, who ended up staying with the Foxes for two more years before leaving in 2025.
Games
500
Goals
200
Assists
71
Trophies
5
8 Luka Modric
Iconic Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric was wanted by Al-Hilal in 2023 and was even offered a mammoth €200m deal over three years to head to the Middle East.
The Croatian decided against leaving Europe, though, instead spending two more years at the Bernabeu before heading to Italy with AC Milan.
9 Sergio Busquets
Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets came up against Ronaldo plenty of times in Spain, and the pair could have been teammates for Al-Nassr in 2023.
The holding midfielder was the subject of a €20m per season offer from the Saudi side, however, Busquets ended up snubbing the prospect of playing alongside Ronaldo to reunite with Messi at Inter Miami.
10 Bernardo Silva
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has been a Saudi Pro League target for a number of years, and in 2023, was offered a deal three times more than his Etihad contract to head to the Middle East.
Al-Hilal were willing to pay the Portuguese midfielder £500,000-a-week, however, he remained in England under Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool have been focusing their efforts to improve their forward line on three central targets in recent weeks, but Fabrizio Romano has revealed the one they are “working” on a deal for.
Florian Plettenberg revealed this week Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike are “three concrete options” for Liverpool this summer after sporting director Richard Hughes completed checks on all of the forwards.
Isak is seemingly the dream target for both Liverpool and probable title rivals Arsenal, although Newcastle United are set to demand £150m for his signature in a bid to ward off suitors this summer.
Ekitike meanwhile has been quite publcily priced at £85m, while Osimhen could leave Napoli for around £64m after an impressive loan spell at Galatasaray.
Galatasaray's VictorOsimhencelebrates after the match
Darwin Nunez is expected to depart Anfield this summer, with interest from Italian sides and the Saudi Pro League, although talks over a move to Napoli have reportedly slowed in recent days due to Liverpool’s demands.
Arne Slot made no secret of his desire for Nunez to step his game up last season, revealing he was unhappy with his work rate after a miss in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa: “A miss that I can accept. What is harder to accept, his behaviour after the chance. That miss is got too much in his head where he is the usual Darwin that works his a** off.”
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The Dutchman, together with Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, are seemingly determined to land a new number nine before the new campaign gets underway, and Romano has revealed the one they are currently going for.
Liverpool "working" on deal for Ekitike
Speaking on his YouTube channel on Monday evening, Romano revealed Liverpool are discussing a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Ekitike, though it does depend on what happens with Nunez.
Ekitike has scored 26 times in 64 appearances during his two years in Frankfurt, but really stepped up to an elite level in 2024/25, registering 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
The young Frenchman could be lethal in Liverpool’s new look front line, as explained by scout/writer Counter Pressers on X: “Hugo Ekitike with Florian Wirtz behind him would be unstoppable. After years of watching Darwin Nunez, we deserve to watch someone of Ekitike’s technical level.”
Indeed, the 23 year-old seems to have more nuance to his game than Liverpool’s struggling star, averaging more passes at a higher completion rate and more dribbles than the former Benfica man, all while scoring more goals too.
Hugo Ekitike
24/25 – all competitons
Darwin Nunez
0.48
Non-penalty goals per 90
0.34
0.29
Assists per 90
0.17
22.90
Passes per 90
18.41
75.3%
Pass completion
69.1%
1.9
Succesful take-ons per 90
0.68
The former PSG starlet could transform Liverpool’s status as champions into total domestic dominance if his relationship with Wirtz hits the ground running.
Thomas Frank is poised to become the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and he’s thought to have his eyes on some transfer targets already.
Tottenham closing in on Thomas Frank appointment after talks
Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano says Frank to Tottenham is already a done deal, with the Lilywhites set to trigger his £10 million release clause and secure Ange Postecoglou’s replacement in quick fashion.
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Following chairman Daniel Levy’s tough decision to axe a manager who ended the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy, whilst securing qualification for next season’s Champions League, Spurs have wasted no time in getting his successor through the door.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Postecoglou was a popular figurehead among the squad, with James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pedro Porro all speaking publicly in defence of the Australian before his dismissal, so Frank has big shoes to fill.
The Dane’s experience of overperforming on a very limited transfer budget, not to mention his work under a data-driven recruitment model similar to Tottenham’s, makes him a solid candidate to replace Postecoglou.
The downsides of this prospective appointment lie with Frank’s inexperience managing an elite-level side or competing in the Champions League, and the 51-year-old has no major honours to boast of heading into the biggest job of his career.
Frank will need plenty of backing this summer from Levy and technical director Johan Lange, who he already knows very well from their time together working in Denmark, and they’ve been familiar with one another for many years.
Tottenham are set for a significant financial boost due to their confirmed place in the Champions League next season, and they’ll no longer have to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer as a result (Michael Bridge).
Reports suggest Frank has already identified transfer targets ahead of his arrival at Spurs, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze firmly in his thinking (GiveMeSport).
Tottenham consider "bold" move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
As per TEAMtalk, Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is another player admired by Frank.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
The 22-year-old has been a star mainstay of the Toffees backline since returning to Merseyside from a successful loan spell at PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/2023 season, and England fans were left shocked when Gareth Southgate omitted Branthwaite from his Three Lions squad for Euro 2024.
Branthwaite is attracting interest from across the Premier League, and Tottenham are certainly in the mix for his services, despite Everton slapping a £70 million price tag on his head.
That is according to TT, who also claim that Frank sees Branthwaite as the ideal Spurs signing to prepare for Champions League football, with Tottenham considering a “bold” move to bring him down south.
A move to N17 is also described as “appealing” to Branthwaite, considering their state-of-the-art set-up and place in Europe’s most prestigious competition, but remaining at Everton is also tempting for him given their new stadium and promise shown under David Moyes.
The Toffees will apparently fight tooth and nail to keep hold of him for next season, so a lot will hinder on how high Tottenham are ready to bid.
Glasgow Rangers could be set to see their takeover by the 49ers Enterprises go through by the start of the summer transfer window.
It appears as though it is a matter of when and not if the US-based consortium will arrive at Ibrox, hopefully with plenty of financial investment to help bolster the squad.
There will be several major decisions to make ahead of pre-season. Working out who must stay and who should be sold is going to be crucial ahead of the 2025/26 season for Rangers.
Furthermore, choosing the correct manager to lead the club into this new era could be the most important decision the 49ers make.
Barry Ferguson has been the interim manager since Philippe Clement was given his marching orders a few months ago. He went to get the role on a permanent basis after overseeing just four wins from his ten games in charge at the time of writing, conceding 20 goals in the process.
With the end of the season in sight, the rumour mill has begun with regard to who will be the next manager of the Light Blues.
The managers linked with Rangers
The most surprising name linked with a move to manage the club is José Mourinho. He knows full well about the Ibrox atmosphere having seen his Fenerbahçe side defeated on penalties in the Europa League last month, even congratulating the squad in the dressing room after the game.
According to TEAMtalk, Mourinho would reportedly be keen on making the move to Glasgow, although he would need significant backing from the 49ers that they would provide him with funds to strengthen.
The Portuguese boss might not be at the top of his game compared to his previous successes, but he would certainly be box office.
Former Southampton manager Russell Martin is also a name that has been mentioned regarding the vacant managerial role.
The Scot is reportedly keen on taking over from Ferguson this summer and is reportedly waiting to hear from the hierarchy at the club to discuss a potential move.
Of course, Steven Gerrard has been linked with a return to Ibrox after being sacked by Al-Etiffaq in Saudi Arabia.
This news was once again reported by TEAMtalk. Gerrard knows what it takes to win with the club, having led them to their first league title in a decade during the 2020/21 campaign.
Nathan Patterson, Steven Gerrard
His previous two managerial roles ended poorly, however. They say never go back. Should the club make a move for the former Liverpool icon? Or is time to go in a totally new direction under new owners?
Marco Rose is a name that has been mentioned recently amid the talks of a takeover by the 49ers.
Why Marco Rose could be in contention
Rose was recently sacked by Bundesliga side RB Leipzig after two and a half years in charge.
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The 49ers have a strong relationship with Red Bull and with Rose having managed both RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig during his career so far, the connections are there to be made.
Gretar Steinsson, the 49ers Technical Director, has held discussions with managerial targets across Europe ever since the potential takeover was mooted and this could see the club look in a different direction.
RB Leipzig
2022-25
124
1.85
Borussia Dortmund
2021-22
46
1.85
Borussia Mönchengladbach
2019-21
88
1.61
RB Salzburg
2017-19
114
2.35
Lok Leipzig
2012-13
30
1.2
Via Transfermarkt
Rose worked with Steinsson during his spells in charge of both Salzburg and Leipzig, indicating that there is a prior relationship which could perhaps lead to Rose becoming one of the favourites for the vacant role at Ibrox.
This may just be a coincidence, but given his relationship with the Red Bull Group in recent years, Rose might be getting talked about as a potential new manager in the coming weeks, that’s for sure.
Why Rose could be a great alternative to Gerrard
The Ibrox faithful will forever have a place for Gerrard in their hearts, especially after claiming the Premiership title in 2021.
During his final few months, however, the football wasn’t pretty and the Light Blues were struggling majorly.
Spells at Aston Villa (sacked after less than a year) and Al-Ettifaq (left by mutual consent after 18 months) haven’t exactly done much to further his career after success with the Gers.
The only positive surrounding his potential return is that Gerrard knows the standards expected at Ibrox, meaning he could integrate a lot quicker than, say, Rose or someone else.
The case for Rose is also complicated, although he has managed one of the biggest clubs in Europe – Borussia Dortmund – between 2021 and 2022.
Rangers did defeat his side 4-2 during the knockout stages of the Europa League in the 2021/22 campaign as they set the standards on their way to the final that season.
Marco Rose for RB Leipzig.
Prior to that, he claimed two Austrian Bundesliga titles with Salzburg, also going on to win the Austrian Cup but it is his spell with Leipzig which was the longest of his career.
During his debut season, the 48-year-old secured the German Cup, but his Bundesliga placings got worse over his time with the club. Third was secured in 2022/23, before a fourth-place finish last season.
When he was sacked, Leipzig were sitting in sixth place and in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification.
He prefers to use a classic 4-4-2 system, which could be altered in several ways to suit the players at Rangers. Plus, he could be given money to bolster the squad in the transfer market should he join the club.
Scottish scout and analyst Kai Watson has heaped praise on Rose amid his name being mentioned with the job, saying: “I honestly can’t believe there’s snobbery around Marco Rose. Take the Celtic scarf picture out of the equation, claiming that he’s a bad or below average manager is truly a wild statement in my opinion. In profile/stature he’s a level above someone like Gerrard, by a distance.”
Interestingly, Rose has defeated Celtic four times in his managerial career, twice each with Salzburg and Leipzig. Of course, beating them with Rangers is a different challenge altogether, but he knows how to get the better of the Parkhead side.
That could be all the difference.
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Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG
Sampath Bandarupalli29-Dec-20242 – Sunil Gavaskar and Harry Brook were the only two players to top-score in four of their first six Test innings before Nitish Kumar Reddy. He is also the first batter to top-score in four of his first six innings at No. 7 or lower. Dattu Phadkar, Wayne Phillips and Kamindu Mendis did it three times each, while Reggie Duff was the top-scorer on all three occasions when he batted at No. 7 or below.3912 – Runs conceded by Jasprit Bumrah before taking his 200th Test wicket – the fewest among the 85 bowlers to reach the milestone. The previous fewest conceded by a bowler at the time of their 200th Test wicket was 4067 runs by Joel Garner, and among Indians, it was 4840 by Ravindra Jadeja.Bumrah needed 8484 deliveries for his 200th wicket, the fourth fastest in terms of balls bowled and the quickest among Indians.ESPNcricinfo Ltd23 – Number of wickets for Bumrah in three Tests at the MCG, the most for an Indian bowler at an away venue. The previous highest was 20 wickets by Anil Kumble at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).5 – Total runs scored by Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in Melbourne – the lowest by No. 5 and 6 batters for Australia in a men’s Test (where the same two batters have played at No. 5 or 6 in both innings).10.42 – Marsh’s batting average in this series – the second lowest for a top-seven Australia batter in a Test series at home, for a minimum of seven innings. The lowest is 10.12 by Kim Hughes against West Indies in 1984-85.5 – Previous instances of an Australian batter scoring 40-plus runs in both innings of a Test match at No. 8 or lower. The last Australian before Pat Cummins at the MCG was Peter Siddle against India in the 2013 Delhi Test, where he scored fifties in both innings.Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon kept the Indian bowlers at bay for 110 balls•Quinn Rooney/Getty Images2 – Number of tenth-wicket partnerships against India to have lasted 100-plus balls in Tests since the start of 2015. Both have come in this series – 18 overs between Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Perth and 17.5 overs between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland in Melbourne.744 – Number of balls faced by batters at No. 8 and lower in the Melbourne Test – the highest across the 248 Tests played in Australia since 1980. It is also the sixth highest for a Test match anywhere since 1998.
New head coach wants young squad to make big strides after tough transition at Hove
Alan Gardner30-Mar-2023Rarely does an audience with Paul Farbrace, set to embark on his first season as Sussex’s new head coach, not throw up several talking points. He was in typically garrulous mood for the club’s media day at Hove on Wednesday, holding court on his time spent coaching at the International League T20 over the winter, Sussex’s “unacceptable” recent record in the Championship, their signing of Australia’s Steven Smith ahead of the Ashes, and the state of county cricket in general (“in a good place”).At one point, having sidestepped a question about the potential involvement of English players in Major League Cricket – a tournament that threatens a regular clash with the ECB’s prime summer white-ball slots – to allow Ravi Bopara, Sussex’s T20 captain, to give his view, Farbrace followed up with a twinkle: “That sounds like a bloke who has done his homework on dates.”It is Farbrace’s evident enthusiasm and busy can-do approach that Sussex hope can harness a talented group of young players after several years of underperformance down on the south coast. Amid a raft of departures, and no shortage of supporter discontent, the club have managed just three wins in first-class cricket – and 19 defeats – over the last three seasons. But Farbrace has already scotched any talk of incremental progress and set out two lofty goals: promotion from Division Two of the Championship, and an appearance at T20 Finals Day.”We don’t want to start talking about winning two or three games this year, rather than one last year, [and then] let’s try and do a little bit better next year. We’ve been very open with the players [that] promotion in Championship cricket is our absolute goal, and getting to Finals Day and challenging to win the T20. It is achievable with the players that we’ve got, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be pushing to get promoted and get into Finals Day.”I know that sounds punchy, and I know that sounds as though perhaps I’m a little bit deluded there. But if we come in and we start talking at the start of the season about ‘let’s see how far we can go, let’s hope to win a few games’ – well, let’s not bother turning up.”Sussex have leaned heavily on their academy in recent seasons – in part due to the financial necessity that also sees a newly completed ziggurat of flats watching over the south entrance to the ground – and take obvious pride in developing a number of promising players in their teens and early 20s. The club provided nine players to England at various representative levels over the winter, from Ollie Robinson in the Test team to Tom Haines and Jack Carson with the Lions and as many as five members of the Under-19s squad that toured Australia.Haines captained the red-ball side last year, stepping up after Travis Head did not return for the second year of his contract with Sussex, but Farbrace has opted to lighten his load. India’s Cheteshwar Pujara will instead lead the team in the Championship, with Tom Alsop lined up to fill in when Pujara is away on Test duty; Haines will captain the one-day side, while being allowed more time to focus on his batting.Cheteshwar Pujara will captain Sussex in the Championship this year•Getty ImagesAs well as Pujara and Smith, who will join for three Championship games in May, Sussex have recruited the Australian allrounder Nathan McAndrew to bolster a squad that has not been used to winning. Pujara and McAndrew are due to arrive in time for the start of the season while Robinson is also expected to play in next week’s opener against Durham, as he works towards his Ashes head-to-head with Smith later in the summer.”Players learn from players, and the more high-quality people we have around our players, the quicker they’ll learn and the quicker they’ll learn how to win those tough periods of games, which will allow them then to start winning games of cricket. You win the tough sessions, and then you win another tough session, and then you win the day – before you know where you are, you’re winning games and it becomes an expectation rather than hope. And I think that’s the narrative that we have to change – not hope, let’s expect.”We’ve got to be stronger, [saying] that this is the session that we need to make sure we stay in the game, and then we can start getting ourselves back into winning the game again. And that’s why you need to break it down hour-by-hour, session-by-session, basically.”On the notion that the counties ought to play with more of a “Bazball” mentality this year, following on from the success of the England Test team under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, Farbrace said “positive, attacking cricket” would be encouraged at Sussex. In particular, a bowling attack that has struggled in the absence of senior heads like Robinson, Jofra Archer and Steven Finn, will be told to focus on wicket-taking rather than economy.Related
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“Our batting I’ve got no issues with, I think we’ve got a lot of batters who will naturally take the game on,” Farbrace said. “But it’s our bowlers, if we can get that shift into their mindset, then I think that that could really work well for us.”And Farbrace, who was assistant to Trevor Bayliss when England last won the Ashes in 2015, is in no doubt that first-class cricket – and the Championship in particular – is something that must continue to be nurtured. While England were crowned T20 World Champions in November, and the ever-expanding franchise circuit offers increased opportunity for English players during the off-season, Farbrace warned that the ECB could only continue to have the best of both worlds if it looked after the domestic structure at home.”There is a danger for any young cricketer that can strike a cricket ball, you could end up playing nine months of the year white-ball cricket, three months’ red-ball cricket. That’s why I was really strong last year [during the Strauss review] when we started talking about reducing Championship cricket from 14 to 10 games. I was very much of the view we need to maintain 14 games and we need to protect county cricket, because county cricket is where we produce players to play for England.”County cricket is alive and well, producing a lot of very talented players – we all know that when England struggle away from home, we look at county cricket but actually county cricket is in a good place. And I think we’ve got to protect Championship cricket and make it the best version we can.”
Here is part 2 of our team-by-team guide to the new Pakistan Super League season
Umar Farooq19-Feb-2021Lahore QalandarsTeam overview All those seasons at the bottom of the table were forgotten last year thanks to the Qalandars’ bristling competitiveness. The franchise rose from the ashes and stormed into their final by eliminating Peshawar Zalmi and then the league toppers Multan Sultans, before they lost to the Karachi Kings in the final. Over the years, the Qalandars had struggled to find their ideal combination and grappled with injuries and player unavailability, but last season they managed to create a desirable core under their captain Sohail Akhtar, a product of their player-development program.Related
The PSL 2021 draft – as it happened
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Pakistan Super League 2021 to allow spectators up to 20% capacity
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Sultans look strong, United have history on their side, and Gladiators bring promise
The Qalandars now have a deadly bowling trio at their disposal, comprising the three highest T20 wicket-takers of 2020 in Haris Rauf (57), Rashid Khan (56) and Shaheen Afridi (52). And while this dynamic attack makes them stand out from the rest of the teams, their batting also packs a punch, with their top order including Fakhar Zaman, who is looking to revive his Pakistan career, Akhtar, who comes into the tournament with T10 form behind him, and Ben Dunk, who made 300 runs last season at a strike rate of 167.59. The Qalandars have retained him for this season, and released Chris Lynn.The middle order also bursts with authority with Mohammad Hafeez, David Wiese and Samit Patel in the ranks. These three aren’t the youngest, but they bring valuable experience and rock-solid temperaments.Strengths The Qalandars possess a bowling attack with all bases covered – pace, seam, left-arm spin, legspin, offspin. The captain Sohail Akhtar is an underrated batsman, who has a T20 hundred under his belt. His career strike rate of 128.68 might not look too flash, but he comes into the PSL with a chart-topping 248 runs at a strike rate of 187.87 in the Abu Dhabi T10. Hafeez has hit a purple patch in the shortest format of late, scoring 1005 runs at an average of 47.85 and a strike rate of 141.54 since the start of 2020. He’s added a new dimension to his game with improved power-hitting, and even at 40 the Professor shows no signs of stopping.Weaknesses Rashid is with the Qalandars for only two games since he will be leaving for national duty to play a Test series against Zimbabwe for Afghanistan. The Qalandars don’t have too much cover for his role, and his loss will be felt going deep in the tournament. After a promising start to his international career across formats, Fakhar Zaman is now out of favour with his form dipping significantly. The Qalandars will hope he can get back to his best because he is a key figure in their top order.Roster Ben Dunk, David Wiese, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar, Ahmed Danyal, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Joe Denly, Rashid Khan, Samit Patel, Tom Abell, Salman Ali Agha. Zaid Alam, Zeeshan AshrafPotential First XI: Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (capt), Zaid Alam, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (wk), Samit Patel, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Dilbar HussainBabar Azam will be surrounded by an array of experienced top-order colleagues•PCBKarachi KingsTeam overview The Karachi Kings broke their playoffs jinx last year to win the title. Otherwise, they had never finished in the top two, losing three times in the Eliminator and finishing in third place in 2017. They have always had a star-studded roster and arguably started each season as one of the favorites with a triumvirate of three long-standing players – Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, and Imad Wasim as the captain – as their defining feature.This year, as in the last few seasons, they have carefully injected firepower into their top order to bat around Babar Azam, trading Alex Hales with Islamabad United to bring back Colin Ingram, who had two sensational seasons for the Kings in 2018 and 2019, scoring 587 runs at a strike rate of 153.66.Their coaching panel is largely taken care of by director and president Wasim Akram but the franchise has also roped in the former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs as their head coach. Gibbs comes into the role that was previously held by Dean Jones, who died aged 59 in September last year in Mumbai. In November, the franchise dedicated their maiden title to Jones.Strengths The top five positions offer guaranteed firepower with Sharjeel Khan, Ingram and Dan Christian capable of booming strike rates and batting around the class of Babar Azam.Weaknesses The Kings have decent bowling options but their pace attack can be over-reliant on Mohammad Amir’s four-over quota. His form cost him his Pakistan place recently, and if he doesn’t fire on a given day, it might test the other fast bowlers – Arshad Iqbal, Waqas Maqsood and Aamer Yamin. It could be a make-or-break season for Amir’s career. A lack of batting depth could be an issue, with the Kings lacking truly top-drawer hitters down the order, though Imad and Mohammad Nabi can do a decent job.Roster Aamer Yamin, Arshad Iqbal, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Chadwick Walton, Dan Christian, Danish Aziz, Joe Clarke, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Ilyas, Noor Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Zeeshan MalikPotential First XI Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Dan Christian, Imad Wasim (capt), Chadwick Walton (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood, Arshad IqbalPeshawar Zalmi will hope the arrival of Mujeeb Ur Rahman can make up for the loss of Hasan Ali•Getty ImagesPeshawar ZalmiTeam overview The franchise is in a rebuilding phase after losing their premier fast bowler Hasan Ali – who parted ways to join Islamabad United. They are the only team after Karachi to have made the playoffs each time they’ve played the tournament in the last five years. They’ve played as many as three finals, but won only once. Zalmi are going through a reboot this year, having retained only five players in the draft while every other team retained the maximum quota of eight to secure their core.This is a new development, since no team has had as loyal a core as Zalmi’s since the league began in 2016. Darren Sammy, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz have worn no other colours until Hasan decided to leave; they also went through a mid-season crisis earlier, having to bench Sammy and appoint him as a coach. Their head coach Mohammad Akram – who has also been with the franchise from the beginning – has said the team is looking to make a fresh start.Strengths The middle-order is brimming with experience, with Shoaib Malik and Ravi Bopara occupying key positions. The bowling is largely based on their go-to quick Wahab Riaz, who is the leading wicket-taker in the PSL and has made a crucial contribution to Zalmi’s success over the years. He might be missing Hasan at the other end but the attack will be bolstered by the arrival of the Afghanistan mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who had a decent BBL season, picking up 14 wickets at an average of 13.42 and an economy rate of 6.26. Weaknesses Veteran Kamran Akmal hasn’t had a good run lately with the bat, and has missed chunks of the recent domestic season due to fitness issues. Liam Livingstone pulling out on national duty has exposed cracks in the top order, leaving it largely in the hands of the inexperienced Haider Ali. Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been brought in as a replacement but he doesn’t have a lot of experience in Asian conditions. Imam ul Haq, meanwhile, has hardly played since picking up a thumb injury in New Zealand. Roster Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Abrar Ahmed, Amad Butt, David Miller, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Irfan Snr, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ravi Bopara, Saqib Mahmood, Sherfane Rutherford, Umaid Asif, Tom-Kohler CadmorePotential First XI Haider Ali, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Kamran Akmal (wk), Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, Amad Butt, Wahab Riaz (capt), Umaid Asif, Mohammad Irfan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Imran
O Brasil irá encarar, na tarde desta terça-feira (26), a Espanha, em Madrid. Apesar de ter a vantagem no confronto direto, a Seleção tem um poderoso tabu para quebrar: jamais venceu a Fúria jogando como visitante.
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+ Confira os mercados da Lance! Betting para resenhar, se divertir e apostar!
➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
+ É O BRASA! Coloque R$200 no Brasil contra a Espanha e fature mais de R$640 no Lance! Betting
Jogos para esquecer
As equipes já jogaram duas partidas em território espanhol, com uma vitória da Fúria e um empate. Em 1990, um sonoro 3 a 0. Em 1999, o 0 a 0 foi o placar. Além de nunca terem vencido, os brasileiros também não balançaram as redes.
*As odds e valores podem mudar
Estatísticas de Espanha e Brasil
Brasil e Espanha já se enfrentaram em nove oportunidades, com cinco vitórias do Brasil, dois empates e duas vitórias da Espanha. No último encontro entre as seleções, lá em 2013, vitória brasileira por 3 a 0, no jogo que decidiu a Copa das Confederações, no Maracanã.
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+ É O BRASA! Coloque R$200 no Brasil contra a Espanha e fature mais de R$640 no Lance! Betting
Jogando em Madrid, o Brasil não tem uma boa recordação de sua última visita. Em 1999, empatou por 0 a 0, mas o trauma vem de 1991. Jogando em Gijón, a Seleção levou um sonoro 3 a 0, com gols de Carlos, Goméz e Míchel. Apesar da derrota, o saldo do Brasil é positivo contra a Espanha, tanto em vitórias quanto em gols. Em nove jogos, são 14 gols feitos e oito sofridos.
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
Espanha: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Grimaldo; Merino, Rodri, Ruiz; Olmo, Morata, N. Williams.
Brasil:.Bento, Danilo, Fabrício Bruno, Beraldo e Wendell; João Gomes, Bruno Guimarães e Paquetá; Raphinha, Vini Jr e Rodrygo. Técnino: Dorival Júnior
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Espanha x Brasil Data e horário: 24/3/2024, às 17h30 Local: Santiago Bernabeu, Espanha Onde assistir: TV Globo, SporTV e Globoplay